Science, democracy, and peace: Churchill on society and statesmanship, in the Fulton Address and beyond

Abstract

The observations and proposals made by Churchill in the Fulton Address rested on his understanding of two forces shaping politics in the twentieth century — science and democracy — and their effect on the need for and possibility of statesmanship. Neither of these two forces had effects that were simple or unreservedly beneficial. Only through wise rule could these forces achieve desirable effects and be safeguarded from their pernicious potential. In Fulton, Churchill was reiterating and applying to new circumstances concerns that he had voiced many times before; the speech can therefore be seen as more than an immediate response to the events of the day.

Keywords

Winston Churchill Fulton Address statesmanship science democracy

Marjorie Jeffrey is a PhD Candidate at Baylor University in Political Science. The working title of her dissertation is ‘The Wars of Peoples: Science, Democracy, and International Politics in the Thought of Winston Churchill.’ Her research interests include the development of modern science, the intersection of international relations and political theory, and the future of democratic politics in an age of globalisation.

John Lukacs, The Legacy of the Second World War (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2012), 161. It is worth noting of course that there would never have been an occupation of Eastern Europe by communist Russia had there not been a successful Bolshevik Revolution—or had Churchill’s efforts to assist the White Russians succeeded.Google Scholar

This is the overarching theme of The World Crisis, his history of World War One. Churchill understood the subordination of the military art to the political art. Any great war strategy must be worked out politically as well as militarily — and, in fact, politically before militarily — because only statesmen, not generals, can see the ends of war.Google Scholar

As early as 1901, Churchill observed in Parliament, ‘Democracy is more vindictive than Cabinets. The wars of peoples will be more terrible than those of kings.’ Quoted by Lukacs, John. Churchill: Visionary. Statesman. Historian (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002), 3.Google Scholar

Churchill, ‘The Sinews of Peace’. This seems like a far cry from the pessimism of his wilderness years, but it is consistent. He never denied, in the essays above, that science could wipe out poverty or meet bodily needs. He even affirmed that it could. His claim was that this would come with enormous dangers, and that these material satisfactions would never be enough to satisfy human beings’ deepest longing.Google Scholar